Many thanks to everyone who prepared good for sale and helped with the indoor market yesterday. Our gross sales were $178.

Please check the sign-up sheet in the hall for opportunities to sponsor the Sunday fellowship in 2015. There are several Sundays in August in need of sponsorship.

Please register children and helpers for Vacation Church School, which will be held the first week of August, in the morning.

We have two items for sale to help our building projects. Please let me know if you are interested in either.

banana bread (vegan and non-vegan $5/loaf, gluten-free available on request).

charcoal for incense at $2/sleeve of 10.

As we approach the beginning of August, please give me the names of the living for which we will pray at our paraklesis services. If you have given me your names in the past and there are no changes, you do not need to do so again.

If you would like to come to our fall educational series and are unable to come at 10 a.m. on Tuesday mornings, please let me know one or more times when you would be available. The fall series will most likely be a series combining various topics, such as what we know about God, the purpose, meaning, and organization of the church building, etc.

Tuesday, August 11, join Eleonora and Regina at 9:30 am at the church. We will be baking baklava and other pastries for our upcoming dinner on the 4th of October. Please let Eleonora or Regina know if you will be helping. Thank you.

***Attention ministry leaders!*** the Newsletter deadline of August 15 is approaching quickly, please gather all of your events and dates for Sept/October and verify them with Father. Please submit them by the 15th to stj.news@gmail.com, so we can get the newsletter out in a timely manner. Any late submission will not be put in. Thank you for your timely response.

Stewardship corner

“On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper…” (1 Corinthians 16:2)

The Holy Apostle Paul was the chief pastor of many churches. His church in the Greek town of Corinth was given specific direction on how to provide for the needs of the Church. It is simple. It is clear. It is full of meaning: “On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper…”

“On the first day of every week.” To what is the Holy Apostle referring? He was, of course, referring to Sunday, the Lord’s day, the weekly commemoration of the Holy Resurrection of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ. What more appropriate time could be chosen for setting aside and presenting our offerings to God? On Sunday we celebrate the Divine Liturgy of the Resurrection – every Sunday! We are reminded each Sunday of the great work of God for our salvation. Our hearts soar up to Him in thanksgiving for the life given to us through the raising of His Son. And on that day, before the work begins of another week, we return to God what is His own. And in that offering of our hard-earned money, comes a tangible, a real, show of our thanksgiving. (from On Stewardship and the Orthodox Life on acrod.org).

If you haven’t done so yet, please fill out a pledge form for your 2015 stewardship! So far in 2015 we have $95,658 pledged out of $108,480 budgeted.